BBC Online :
Hillary Clinton has attacked her main rival Bernie Sanders over US gun laws at the Democratic presidential debate.
When asked if the Vermont senator was strong on gun control, she said, “No, not at all,” before vowing to go after the makers of guns used in shootings.
Mr Sanders also attacked Mrs Clinton, saying her support for a no-fly zone in Syria would create “serious problems”. His rallies have drawn big crowds and he has challenged Mrs Clinton’s frontrunner status in some key states.
Mrs Clinton and Mr Sanders dominated the debate. The three other candidates on stage in Las Vegas – former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee – struggled to make headway. The two main candidates were sharply divided over gun laws, in the wake of a mass shooting at a college campus in Oregon.
When Mrs Clinton said her rival was not tough enough, she was referring to him voting in 2005 for a measure to give gun manufacturers immunity from lawsuits by shooting victims.
The two also argued over the merits of capitalism. Mr Sanders called for a “political revolution”, arguing that “Congress does not regulate Wall Street. Wall Street regulates Congress”.
But when he suggested that the US should look to Nordic countries because of “what they have accomplished for their working people”, Mrs Clinton responded: “We are not Denmark. I love Denmark. We are the United States of America. “I’m a progressive, but I’m a progressive who likes to get things done,” she said.
Commentators see good debate for Clinton: “Whereas much of the pre-debate punditry had focused on Clinton’s apparent vulnerabilities, she was on offense for the bulk of the two-hour encounter, especially in the crucial opening minutes.” Niall Strange, The Hill “The Democratic front-runner showed renewed energy and comfort on a presidential debate stage where she, but none of the others, had been before.” Shane Goldmacher, Politico
Mrs Clinton’s “experience and self-assurance… put her in command as she and her four lesser-known rivals for the Democratic nomination stood side by side for the first time”.
Vice-President Joe Biden is still considering a run for the White House and did not make a last-minute entry on to the stage, as his supporters hoped. Mrs Clinton has seen her support wane amid questions about her use of a private email account when she served as US secretary of state, a move she now calls a mistake.
However, she was unfazed during the debate when Mr Chafee questioned her credibility, refusing to respond when invited.
There were five candidates on stage, but it was the Hillary and Bernie show. And if he emerged a star, she was the definite winner.
Hillary Clinton has attacked her main rival Bernie Sanders over US gun laws at the Democratic presidential debate.
When asked if the Vermont senator was strong on gun control, she said, “No, not at all,” before vowing to go after the makers of guns used in shootings.
Mr Sanders also attacked Mrs Clinton, saying her support for a no-fly zone in Syria would create “serious problems”. His rallies have drawn big crowds and he has challenged Mrs Clinton’s frontrunner status in some key states.
Mrs Clinton and Mr Sanders dominated the debate. The three other candidates on stage in Las Vegas – former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee – struggled to make headway. The two main candidates were sharply divided over gun laws, in the wake of a mass shooting at a college campus in Oregon.
When Mrs Clinton said her rival was not tough enough, she was referring to him voting in 2005 for a measure to give gun manufacturers immunity from lawsuits by shooting victims.
The two also argued over the merits of capitalism. Mr Sanders called for a “political revolution”, arguing that “Congress does not regulate Wall Street. Wall Street regulates Congress”.
But when he suggested that the US should look to Nordic countries because of “what they have accomplished for their working people”, Mrs Clinton responded: “We are not Denmark. I love Denmark. We are the United States of America. “I’m a progressive, but I’m a progressive who likes to get things done,” she said.
Commentators see good debate for Clinton: “Whereas much of the pre-debate punditry had focused on Clinton’s apparent vulnerabilities, she was on offense for the bulk of the two-hour encounter, especially in the crucial opening minutes.” Niall Strange, The Hill “The Democratic front-runner showed renewed energy and comfort on a presidential debate stage where she, but none of the others, had been before.” Shane Goldmacher, Politico
Mrs Clinton’s “experience and self-assurance… put her in command as she and her four lesser-known rivals for the Democratic nomination stood side by side for the first time”.
Vice-President Joe Biden is still considering a run for the White House and did not make a last-minute entry on to the stage, as his supporters hoped. Mrs Clinton has seen her support wane amid questions about her use of a private email account when she served as US secretary of state, a move she now calls a mistake.
However, she was unfazed during the debate when Mr Chafee questioned her credibility, refusing to respond when invited.
There were five candidates on stage, but it was the Hillary and Bernie show. And if he emerged a star, she was the definite winner.
